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snowball

[ˈsnəʊbɔːl]

snowball Definition

  • 1a ball of snow pressed together in the hands, typically for throwing at other people as a game or in fun
  • 2a thing that grows rapidly in significance, size, or impact

Using snowball: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "snowball" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

  • Example

    The children were having a snowball fight in the park.

  • Example

    The problem started small, but it quickly snowballed into a major crisis.

  • Example

    Her debt snowballed after she lost her job.

snowball Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for snowball

Antonyms for snowball

Phrases with snowball

  • to exaggerate a minor problem into something major

    Example

    She always makes a mountain out of a molehill, turning small issues into big problems.

  • a situation in which something increases in size or importance at an accelerating rate

    Example

    The snowball effect of the pandemic caused widespread economic damage.

  • snowball's chance in hell

    a very slim chance of success

    Example

    He has a snowball's chance in hell of winning the race against the top runners.

Origins of snowball

from the combination of 'snow' and 'ball'

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Summary: snowball in Brief

A 'snowball' [ˈsnəʊbɔːl] is a ball of snow made by pressing snow together, often thrown in games. It also refers to a thing that grows rapidly in significance, size, or impact, as in 'The problem started small, but it quickly snowballed into a major crisis.' Phrases like 'make a mountain out of a molehill' and 'snowball effect' relate to the idea of rapid growth, while 'snowball's chance in hell' means a very slim chance of success.

How do native speakers use this expression?